Bomb team deals with smoke grenade at Long Eaton school....and then dash to deal with a live grenade in nearby house

Double duty: Somercotes Infant School, where a Chilwell bomb disposal team tacked a smoke grenade before rushing to Long Eaton to carry out a controlled explosion on a live grenade found in a loft during a clear-out on a dramatic day of action for the experts.

A BOMB disposal team had only just dealt with a smoke grenade at a school when it was diverted to a house where a woman had found a live grenade in the loft.

A 100-yard cordon was put up around the house in Roosevelt Avenue, Long Eaton.

A woman had called police after finding the grenade as she sorted her late father-in-law's attic at 10am yesterday.

A police spokesman said: "The lady called us to say her father-in-law, who died two years ago, used to be in the Army and they had only now got round to clearing out his loft.

"They said the grenade was live and still had its pin attached so asked if we could come and remove it.

"The explosives team from Chilwell were on their way back from Somercotes Infant School where they had been called to a report of a smoke grenade in the car park and checked out the hand grenade in Long Eaton."

By 10.55am, a 100-yard cordon was set up outside the Long Eaton house and homes had to be evacuated while the bomb squad examined the grenade.

The team confirmed that it was live and it was taken to a nearby open space where they carried out a controlled explosion.

Gillian Hewitt, 66, of Roosevelt Avenue, said she was relieved the grenade had been safely dealt with.

She said: "I wasn't in when it all happened but it is an unusual event to happen round here. I'm just glad they got rid of it safely because if it went off it could've been dangerous."

The police spokesman said: "The squad said it was impossible to estimate how old the grenade was or where it had come from but they looked at ways to dispose of it before carrying out the controlled explosion at a nearby park.

"No one was injured and people were back in their homes, after the cordon was lifted, by 11.55am."

Earlier in the day, at 8.20am, all pupils at the Victoria Street school were transferred to a site in Nottingham Road.

A 100m cordon was placed around the site while police investigated. The school was open as usual.

Nobody from the school would comment but a police spokesman said a member of staff found a smoke grenade in the car park.

He said: "Officers attended the school and an Army bomb disposal unit was called as a precaution and to identify the object. Children and staff were moved into a different part of the school, away from the car park, and the road was closed for a short time.

"The object was identified as a smoke grenade and staff and students were allowed to continue their day as normal."